Effect of Dihydroquercetin During Long-Last Growth of Yarrowia lipolytica Yeast: Anti-Aging Potential and Hormetic Properties

Polyphenols are powerful natural antioxidants with numerous biological activities. They change cell membrane permeability, interact with receptors, intracellular enzymes, and cell membrane transporters, and quench reactive oxygen species (ROS). Yarrowia lipolytica yeast, being similar to mammalian cells, can be used as a model to study their survival ability upon long-lasting cultivation, assaying the effect of dihydroquercetin polyphenol (DHQ). The complex assessment of the physiological features of the population assaying cell respiration, survival, ROS detection, and flow cytometry was used. Y. lipolytica showed signs of chronological aging by eight weeks of growth, namely a decrease in the cell number, and size, increased ROS generation, a decrease in colony-forming unit (CFU) and metabolic activity, and decreased respiratory rate and membrane potential. An amount of 150 µM DHQ decreased ROS generation at the 6-week growth stage upon adding an oxidant of 2,2′-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH). Moreover, it decreased CFU at 1–4 weeks of cultivation, inhibited cell metabolic activity of the 24-h-old culture and stimulated that on 14–56 days of growth, induced the cell respiration rate in the 24-h-old culture, and blocked alternative mitochondrial oxidase at growth late stages. DHQ serves as a mild pro-oxidant on the first day of age-stimulating anti-stress protection. In the deep stationary stage, it can act as a powerful antioxidant, stabilizing cell redox status and reducing free radical oxidation in mitochondria. It provides a stable state of population. The hormetic effects of DHQ using lower eukaryotes of Y. lipolytica have been previously discussed, which can be used as a model organism for screening geroprotective compounds of natural origin.